Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Vanilla

Va-nil′la

,
Noun.
[NL., fr. Sp.
vainilla
, dim. of Sp.
vaina
a sheath, a pod, L.
vagina
; because its grains, or seeds, are contained in little pods.]
1.
(Bot.)
A genus of climbing orchidaceous plants, natives of tropical America.
2.
The long podlike capsules of
Vanilla planifolia
, and
Vanilla claviculata
, remarkable for their delicate and agreeable odor, for the volatile, odoriferous oil extracted from them; also, the flavoring extract made from the capsules, extensively used in confectionery, perfumery, etc.
☞ As a medicine, vanilla is supposed to possess powers analogous to valerian, while, at the same time, it is far more grateful.
Cuban vanilla
,
a sweet-scented West Indian composite shrub (
Eupatorium Dalea
).
–
Vanilla bean
,
the long capsule of the vanilla plant.
–
Vanilla grass
.
Same as
Holy grass
, under
Holy
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Vanilla

VANIL'LA

,
Noun.
A genus of plants which have an unctuous aromatic taste, and a fragrant smell; natives of South America and the West Indies.

Definition 2024

Vanilla

Vanilla

See also: vanilla

Translingual

Proper noun

Vanilla f

  1. A taxonomic genus within the family Orchidaceae – the vanilla orchid.

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

vanilla

vanilla

See also: Vanilla

English

Noun

vanilla ‎(countable and uncountable, plural vanillas)

  1. (countable) Any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla (especially Vanilla planifolia), bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food or in perfumes.
  2. (countable) The fruit or bean of the vanilla plant.
  3. (uncountable) The extract of the fruit of the vanilla plant.
  4. (uncountable) The distinctive fragrant flavour/flavor characteristic of vanilla extract.
    You can tell that the secret ingredient missing from New CokeTM was vanilla, because certain South American economies collapsed when it was introduced, and miraculously revived when the old formula was used again.‎
  5. (uncountable) Any artificially produced homologue of vanilla extract, principally vanillin produced from lignin from the paper industry or from petrochemicals.

Derived terms

  • Cuban vanilla
  • vanilla grass

See also

Synonyms

Translations

Adjective

vanilla ‎(comparative more vanilla, superlative most vanilla)

  1. (of flavor, etc.) Of vanilla.
    • 2004, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
      A mass of folders and binders. One, vanilla in colour, catches her eye.
  2. (colloquial, chiefly computing) Standard, plain, default, unmodified, basic.
    • 2001, "Michael Foot", BeebIt 0.32 and BBCFiles 0.29 released (on newsgroup comp.sys.acorn.announce)
      BBCFiles is a BBC file converter that converts between some of the various types of files used by BBC emulators on Acorn & PC formats. It supports 6502Em style applications & scripts, /ssd dfs disc images (supporting watford double catalogue), vanilla directories, /zip of bbc files with /inf files (with limitations) and directory of bbc files with /inf files.
  3. (sexuality) Not kinky, not involving BDSM.
    • 2006, Felix Lance Falkon, Gay Art: A Historic Collection, ISBN 1551522055, page 136:
      An uncharacteristically vanilla threesome and non-cute realist rendering - derived paradoxically from tracing drawings rather than photographs.
    • 2010, Chloe Stowe, Hard Water, ISBN 1607774054, page 37:
      While Dominick was more of a vanilla kind of a guy himself, he wasn't a total dunce when it came to the kinkier sides of things.
    • 2014, Christina Thacher, The Negotiation: A BDSM Romance, ISBN 193957305X:
      Sebastian could never do that, be in a marriage with a vanilla woman.
  4. Plain; conventional; unimaginative.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:bare-bones

Translations

Related terms

Icelandic

Etymology

From English vanilla, from Spanish vainilla, diminutive of vaina ‎(“pod”), from Latin vāgīna ‎(“sheath”).

Noun

vanilla f ‎(genitive singular vanillu, nominative plural vanillur)

  1. vanilla

Declension

Derived terms

  • vanilluplanta

Etymology

See vanilla

Similar Results